


Company

by tattooedsappho



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 04:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18296873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattooedsappho/pseuds/tattooedsappho
Summary: Facing the world, post-war, is easier with company. 15MinuteFics:PhotoFriday24





	Company

Hermione leaned against the trunk of the ancient tree, halfway hidden in shadow as the last vestiges of twilight danced across the sky; it had been another long week of funerals and memorials, of meetings with the Ministry and dodging ever present reporters. She exhaled slowly, took a sip of her drink and let the now empty bottle fall to the soft moss the grew over the gnarled root extending partway down her leg before diving deep into the earth.

“Is this spot taken?”

“I should have been startled. Should have jumped, drawn my wand, cursed, something. No, it’s not taken, sit with me if you wish but I’m rather horrible company at the moment.”

“Any company is better than none; the kind that allows you to sit, and be, and not smother you in pity is ever better.”

Andromeda lowered herself down on the other side of the moss covered root and leaned back against the tree as well, her arm brushing Hermione’s shoulder.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” Andromeda smirked, although it was dark enough that Hermione did not see.

“I’m sorry. Nevermind.”

“Go on, ask. I forget how hard sarcasm can be in times like this, especially when you face is hidden in shadow.”

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Deal with all this. You’ve been dealing with this since...well since before I was born really. All the hate and the torn families and the missing and the longing and the wishing and the loss. And yet you are here, you are present. You show up. You’re not hiding somewhere, wallowing in grief or self pity, and that’s all I want to do right now.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say I’m not hiding. I’ve just gotten so used to pushing everything down and carrying on that that’s the only way I know how to live anymore. If my sister were here -”

Hermione rubbed her left arm.

“Not that sister. You think me that callous?” Andromeda bumped her shoulder against Hermione’s, attempting to communicate the joke.

“Wait, what? Oh, no, of course not.” Hermione blushed sheepishly and picked up her bottle, momentarily forgetting it was empty. Wish a resigned sigh she lowered it back to the ground.

“Here, have some of mine. Merlin knows we all need some of this right now.” Andromeda passed over her bottle and Hermione took a small swallow.

“Thanks. You were saying...about your...sister?”

“She could tell you about the real Andromeda. The one who almost got sorted into Hufflepuff. The one who laughed and dreamed and swore the world would never steal her dreams. I’m not her anymore, she’s hiding behind the Andromeda you know. The strong one, the one who hid her dreams away because she was so afraid that the world was stealing them. Oh I survived, and I intend on staying around for quite some time, but I am not who I once was. And neither are you. This changes us all.”

“Depressing thought.”

“True. But liberating. Now you know that you can continue patching yourself together and you will come out the other side and forge ahead and live your life.”


End file.
